Pressure seal assembly

ABSTRACT

A pressure seal assembly between a rotary retort and a stationary hydrocarbonaceous vapor and spent shale accumulator is provided which maintains seal rings in alignment or engagement with the shell of the rotary retort.

United States Patent Crockett 1 Dec. 19, 1972 [54] PRESSURE SEAL ASSEMBLY [56] References Cited [72] Inventor: Richard H. Crockett, Grand Junc- UNITED STATES E S tion, C010.

3,171,723 3/1965 Hanson ..285/275 [73] Assignee: Toscotech Corporation, New York, 3,019,835 2/1962 Maurand.... ..28S/272 N Y, 2,461,754 2/1949 Mertz ..285/272 [22] Filed: July 1971 Primary ExaminerEdgar W Geoghegan [21] Appl. No.: 162,997 Assistant Examiner-Barry Grossman An0rney-Granvi11e M. Brumbaugh et a1.

[52] US. C1. ..308/1, 277/12, 277/32, [57] ABSTRACT 277/97, 285/275 [51] Int. Cl. ..Fl6j 15/16 A P Seal assembly between a rotary retort and a [58] Field of Search ....277/12, 32,97, 174; 285/272, Stationary hydrocarbonaceous vapor and spent shale accumulator is provided which maintains seal rings in alignment or engagement with the she" of the rotary retort.

2 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PKTENTED nac 19 1922 sum 1 or g INVENTOR. RICHARD H. CRO'CKETT BY MBW ATTORNEYS his PATENTEDnEc 19 1972 SHEET 2 BF 2 INVENTOR. RICHARD H. CROCKETT his ATTORNEYS.

- PRESSURE SEAL ASSEMBLY The present invention relates to a pressure seal assembly.

The pyrolysis of oil shale or other solid hydrocarbonaceous materials into vaporous hydrocarbonaceous products is conducted in a retort or pyrolyzer at an elevated temperature. The effluent hydrocarbonaceous vapors and spent shale pyrolysis products are removed from the retort by feeding them into a vapor and spent shale accumulator.

A variety of retorts have been used for this purpose, one of which is a rotary cylindrical retort. The use of a rotary retort presents a problem in providing a satisfactory pressure seal between it and the stationary vapor and spent shale accumulator to prevent the loss or escape therebetween of the hydrocarbonaceous vapors. More specifically, difficulties have been encountered in keeping pressure seal rings in alignment or in engagement with the rotary retort.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a satisfactory pressure seal assembly between the rotary retort and the stationary accumulator whereby pressure seal rings are maintained in alignment or engagement with the rotary retort.

In general, the pressure seal assembly of the invention maintains seal rings in alignment or engagement with the shell of a rotary retort by means of the interaction between a concentric ring or tire mounted on the shell and bearing and thrust rollers mounted on the stationary support for the seal rings.

' The preferred embodiment of the pressure seal assembly of the invention is shown in the drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective partially broken view of the pressure seal assembly, and

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on Line A-A of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the figures of the drawing, a rotary cylindrical pyrolysis drum or retort 2 is connected to a stationary hydrocarbonaceous vapor and spent shale accumulator 4 through the pressure seal assembly of the invention. The rotary retort 2 has a cylindrical shell 6 while the accumulator 4 has a stationary wall 8.

The rotary cylindrical retort shell 6 has affixed thereon by welding adjacent its discharge end a plurality of stanchions 9 which are spaced equidistantly from one another around the circumference of the shell 6, for example, every 45 when eight stanchions are used, and are spaced equidistantly from or in alignment with the discharge end. These stanchions 9 each support a pendant concentric steel or tire ring 10 bolted thereto which has two planar or flat side surfaces 12 and an inner surface 16.

A cylindrical corrugated or sinuous expansion bellows 18 is attached by bolts at one end thereof to an equidiameter circular flange 20 on the stationary vessel wall 8 and is attached by screws at the other end thereof to an equidiameter circular seal ring support 22 which is disposed concentrically around the rotary shell The support 22 has a plurality (e.g., two) of carbon rubbing or sea] rings 24 mounted therein which are biased inwardly by tension springs 28 into sealing engagement with the rotary shell 6. The support 22 also has a plurality of bearing or trunnion rollers 32 mounted by bolts outwardly thereof which are equidistantly spaced around the circumference of the support 22, for example, every when three bearing rollers are used. The bearing rollers 32 are in rotary engagement with the inner surface 16 of the concentric ring or tire 10.

The support 22 also has a plurality of opposed sets of thrust rollers 34 mounted by bolts outwardly thereof which are spaced equidistantly around the circumference of the support 22, for example, every 120 when three sets of the thrust rollers are used. The thrust rollers 34 can be opposed to one another along'the center line of the circular support 22 in a direct or staggered relationship. The thrust rollers 34 are in rotary engagement with the two planar or flat side surfaces 12 of the concentric ring or tire 10.

Due to the heat within the rotary retort or pyrolyzer 2 the shell 6 thereof expands. Allowance for the linear thermal expansion of the shell 6 is provided by the expansion bellows 18 which are compressed toward the accumulator 4 by the thrust of the concentric ring or tire 10 against the sets of thrust rollers 34 and thereby compensate for the thermally expanded shell 6.

The carbon rubbing or seal rings 24 are maintained in alignment or engagement with the shell 6 of the retort 2 due to the action of the tension springs 28 and, more importantly, due to the interaction of the concentric ring or tire 10 with the bearing rollers 32 and the thrust rollers 34 which are in rotary engagement therewith. The concentric ring or tire 10 in conjunction with the hearing or trunnion rollers 32 maintains the seal rings 24 in vertical or compression engagement with the shell 6. The conjoint action of the thrust rollers 34 with the two planar or flat side surfaces 12 of the concentric ring or tire l0 prevents the support 22 and the seal rings 24 from tilting or cocking or pivoting out of the plane normal or perpendicular to the shell 6 or the retort axial center line.

Such tilting or pivoting can also be prevented by providing other non-pivotal or interlocking rotary engagement between the two side surfaces 12 of the concentric ring or tire 10 and the-sets of thrust rollers 34. For example, these elements can have interengaging corrugated surfaces.

The bearing rollers 32 can be mounted upon adjustable wedge plate supports 36 with jack bolts for keeping the bearing rollers 32 in engagement with the inner surface 16 of the concencentric ring or tire 10 as the bearing rollers 32 become worn during use of the assembly. The thrust rollers 34 can also be mounted upon adjustable wedge plate supports 38 with jack bolts.

The arrows in FIG. 2 indicate the circular path of rotation of the retort 2, its shell 6 and the affixed stanchions 9 with their concentric ring or tire l0 suspended therefrom. The remaining parts of the pressure seal assembly remain stationary relative to the path of rotation of the retort 2. Of course, as noted above, the bearing rollers 32 and the thrust rollers 34 are in rotary engagement with the concentric ring or tire 10, but they do not rotate in the circular path of rotation of the retort 2.

A pressure seal assembly can also be located at the ingress end of the rotary retort and is applicable to the general field of large high temperature pressure seals.

From the above description of the pressure seal assembly of the invention, it will be apparent that the seal l060ll 0220 rings are maintained in alignment or engagement with the shell of the rotary retort and are not displaced vertically from the shell nor tilted or pivoted from the plane normal or perpendicular to the shell and are kept in such engagement with the shell even during thermal expansion thereof.

It will be appreciated that various modifications and changes may be made in the pressure seal assembly of the invention in addition to those mentioned above by those skilled in the art without departing from the essence thereof and that accordingly the invention is to be limited only within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A pressure seal assembly comprising a rotary cylindrical shell having affixed thereon adjacent one of its ends a plurality of circumferentially equidistant stanchions supporting a concentric ring having two side surfaces and an inner surface, a cylindrical corrugated expansion bellows attached at one end to a circular flange on a stationary vessel wall'and attached at the other end to: a circular seal ring support disposed around said shell, said support having a plurality of biased inwardly mounted seal rings in sealing engagement with said shell and having a plurality of outwardly mounted circumferentially equidistant bearing rollers in rotary engagement with the inner surface of said concentric ring and having a plurality of outwardly mounted circumferentially equidistant opposed thrust rollers in rotary non-pivotal engagement with the two side surfaces of said concentric ring, whereby said seal rings are maintained inalignment or engagement with said shell.

2. The pressure seal assembly as defined by claim ,1 wherein the bearing rollers and thrust rollers are mounted on the seal ring support by adjustable wedge plates.

l060ll 0221 

1. A preSsure seal assembly comprising a rotary cylindrical shell having affixed thereon adjacent one of its ends a plurality of circumferentially equidistant stanchions supporting a concentric ring having two side surfaces and an inner surface, a cylindrical corrugated expansion bellows attached at one end to a circular flange on a stationary vessel wall and attached at the other end to a circular seal ring support disposed around said shell, said support having a plurality of biased inwardly mounted seal rings in sealing engagement with said shell and having a plurality of outwardly mounted circumferentially equidistant bearing rollers in rotary engagement with the inner surface of said concentric ring and having a plurality of outwardly mounted circumferentially equidistant opposed thrust rollers in rotary non-pivotal engagement with the two side surfaces of said concentric ring, whereby said seal rings are maintained in alignment or engagement with said shell.
 2. The pressure seal assembly as defined by claim 1 wherein the bearing rollers and thrust rollers are mounted on the seal ring support by adjustable wedge plates. 